Kulwinder Dheria

From February to April, 5.5 million Canadian workers were affected by the COVID-19 economic shutdown. This included a drop in employment of 3.0 million and a COVID-related increase in absences from work of 2.5 million. Employment rose by 419,000 (+2.4%) in July, compared with 953,000 (+5.8%) in June. Combined with gains of 290,000 in May, this brought employment to within 1.3 million (-7.0%) of its pre-COVID February level. The number of Canadians who were employed but worked less than half their usual hours for reasons likely related to COVID-19 dropped by 412,000 (-18.8%) in July. Combined with declines recorded in May and June, this left COVID-related absences from work at just under 1 million (+972,000; +120.3%) above February levels. By the week of July 12 to July 18, the total number of affected workers stood at 2.3 million, a reduction since April of 58.0%.

Home sales recorded over Canadian MLS Systems in June 2020 rebounded by a further 63%, returning them to normal levels for the month some 150% above where they were in April. Transactions were once again up on a m-o-m basis across the country. Among Canadas largest markets, sales rose 83.8% in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), 75.1% in Montreal, 60.3% in Greater Vancouver, 99.7% in the Fraser Valley, 54.9% in Calgary, 59% in Edmonton, 22.5% in Winnipeg, 34.8% in Hamilton-Burlington, 67.9% in London and St. Thomas, 55.6% in Ottawa and 43.6% in Quebec City. Actual (not seasonally adjusted) sales activity posted a 15.2% y-o-y gain in June. REALTORS across Canada are increasingly seeing business pick back up, stated Costa Poulopoulos, Chair of CREA. With sellers and buyers returning to the market, we continue to make sure clients stay safe by complying with government and health officials directives and advice, increasingly using technology to list and show properties virtually while providing secure methods to complete required forms and contracts. As always, but maybe now more than ever, REALTORS remain the best source for information and guidance when negotiating the sale or purchase of a home, continued Poulopoulos.